


Manon chooses the worst babysitter possible

by sarah_bae_maas



Category: Throne of Glass Series - Sarah J. Maas
Genre: Fluff, Future, Kids, Next Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-07 16:05:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16857103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sarah_bae_maas/pseuds/sarah_bae_maas
Summary: Posted March 11, 2018





	Manon chooses the worst babysitter possible

“There are worse things in the world, Manon, and asking someone for help isn’t a weakness.”

Manon shoved Dorian’s hand off her shoulder and scowled at him, baring her teeth at the horrid suggestions he was making. “I am not hiring someone to look after her. She is _mine_ , and I will do it. Asterin can help if need be.”

No matter her tone or aggression, Dorian just kept smiling away at her, his face gentle and full of love.

“She’s so much like you. Today she bit one of the serving staff.”

That lightened her mood a bit. She liked when Dorian said their baby girl was like her, whilst using such an affectionate tone. It made her nearly not mad at him.

“Why did she bite him?”

“Our daughter was cranky. I had her in the crib when he brought me my lunch, and he thought it would be a good idea to wave his fingers at her. Spoiler alert, it wasn’t a good idea,” Dorian chuckled. He dared walking to her again, this time placing his hands on her waist and pulling her forward ever so gently. “I have no doubt of your fine skills as a mother. You are tremendous, as a mother and wife.”

Manon smiled ruefully at him and leant forward to brush a kiss across his lips. “Sweet talk won’t change my mind.”

____

“Shit. _Shit_.” Manon jogged down the stairs with her ten-month-old securely on her hip, wondering what the hell she was going to do.

Not that she would ever admit it to her husband, but he was right. They needed a carer to help during the days while they ran their kingdoms. Her thirteen were gone, assessing the wastelands for her while she stayed behind to help Dorian. Elide was up north with her bitch queen and angsty husband, and Dorian himself was at a trade meeting at the docks with Chaol and Yrene.

Manon had nowhere to take her lovely little baby, but she certainly couldn’t take her to the riot she was about to thwart.  It was too dangerous, and her girl may bite but she was also the most trusting, pure thing in Adarlan. Someone might take advantage of that fact while Manon was distracted, and it was Manon’s biggest fear that something terrible would happen to her daughter.

She swept into the courtyard, desperately but slyly looking for any guards she might trust to protect her daughter. She looked at the men and women prowling the outer walls and curled her lip in dissatisfaction.

Then, in the distance she heard the most comforting of sounds, and it was like the Gods themselves had intervened on her behalf.

“Of course. Of course!” she muttered to herself, whistling to catch the attention of her divine intervention. She couldn’t believe she hadn’t thought of this before, he would be the best protection possible.

Abraxos glided from the skies to her feet, a happy rumble leaving him at the sight of his two favourite girls.

“I have an important job for you,” she told him while approaching him. She plopped her daughter at his feet, leaning down and kissing her head gently, her girl looking up with her strange, ethereal eyes. She raised a fist to her mother, gently hinting that she wished not to be on the ground, but all Manon did was crouch in front of her and cup her face in her hands.

“Do not let her out of your sight,” she told her wyvern. “Do not let anyone touch her, or come near her. I will return soon, but I trust I can leave her with you without any danger.”

Abraxos growled in agreement, and Manon stepped back as he folded himself around the baby, tucking her into his wings and curling in a way that cut her off from the view of others.

Happy with her choice, she ran her hand along Abraxos in farewell and called a goodbye to her baby, running off to stop the violence running rampart in the streets – determined to make this a safer city for her daughter.

____

No matter his calls to stay behind, Dorian followed Chaol at the sound of commotion in the court yard.

He glided behind Chaol as his second rushed to the scene, and when they stepped from the stone room into the court yard he halted in shock, one hand over his heart and the other reaching for Chaol.

Abraxos, the wyvern he loved, was shrieking at the swarm of guards that were surrounding him with weapons brandished. He was circling something Dorian couldn’t see, moving himself in strange ways to cover something from the eyes of the guards. Swirling over and over, it seemed like although he was also trying to fend off the guards around him, he was also following something.

“What the bloody hell is going on?” Dorian shouted at the guards closest to him.

“Your majesty.” The woman bowed quickly, flustered from the commotion. “It’s the queen’s wyvern, he won’t let her go!”

“Manon?” Dorian stepped forward, panicked that something was happening to his wife. It would perfectly explain Abraxos’ bizarre behaviour. But if something was wrong with Manon, who he had barely seen that day, then where was his baby girl? His heart accelerated at the thought of his ladies being hurt, or in trouble, or even with the slightest thing wrong. His hand unconsciously raised to his chest, where he had their names ornately tattooed.  

“No, King Dorian, it’s the little one. She was spotted in the yard by the guards unattended but for Abraxos, and when they tried to take her the wyvern attacked. No one is injured, but we can’t get anywhere near her.”

Dorian didn’t wait to thank her and sprinted into the yard, Chaol behind him, shouting Abraxos’ name.

The wyvern turned his head, going silent, and the guards stopped everything they were doing to watch their king.

Dorian was now able to take a peek at what was happening, and he was surprised to see his baby – her white hair, tanned skin, and unusually stunning eyes, on her feet, padding around the yard, Abraxos’ steps matching hers. Her gaze lifted from the ground to him – one eye his blue, the other the gold of her mother -  with a smile so wide and pure that Dorian’s heart tightened with so much love and affection that he wondered how he ever thought he lived a full life without her in it.

He strode forward, the guards tensing. From the whispers around him, Dorian gathered that every time they had come forward Abraxos had swatted them away with either his wings, his tail, or his talons. Dorian was not afraid though – not for himself. He was curious as to one, where his wife was, and two, why Abraxos was so on edge.

His daughter met him a quarter of the way, so happy to see his father that she started waddling his way. She looked to be fine – her cheeks a healthy blush pink and there was no faulting in her step that you wouldn’t expect for a baby who had not long started to walk.

He scooped her up in his arms and gazed up as a looming shadow fell over him as Abraxos embraced Dorian into his bubble of protection. He reached a hand up and scratched as his scarred hide, the wyvern rumbling happily at the attention.

His baby’s head fell to his shoulder, her eyes drooping. It was early afternoon, and about time for a nap.

Abraxos seemed calmer in his presence and was certainly no longer swatting at the staff. His snarling had stopped, and he had the expression on his face that Dorian always thought was very reminiscent of a dopey puppy.

“What happened here?” he asked the wyvern absentmindedly. Dorian was still on edge, even if his daughter was once again safe in his arms. He still didn’t know what caused this uproar to begin with and had zero idea on the whereabouts of his wife. “Are you alright, buddy?”

Abraxos smiled, and although Dorian had known him for years at this point it was still strange how humanly expressive he was. Taking said smile as a yes, Dorian patted him once more before stepping away with his girl, needing to get her to a crib. He sniffed and realized that she would definitely need a diaper change too.

“Go back to the aviary Abraxos, or even better, find my wife for me.” He turned and tried to step away but was intervened by an iron spiked tail swinging in front of him. A wing then came overhead, blocking the rest of the court yard from sight.

“Dorian!” Chaol called, his voice panicked.

“I’m fine!” he shouted back. He raised an eyebrow at his living prison. “I think,” he muttered.

Dorian was now in the curling sphere of Abraxos that his daughter had just been in, and from the looks of it he wasn’t getting out anytime soon.

This whole situation was just bizarre, and Dorian had no idea what was going on. He could hear though that his guards were once again on edge – their swords clinking against their armour as they prepared- what? An assault? A defence? No, Dorian couldn’t let that happen. No one would be injured today, and although Abraxos was a staple of the castle and a true gentle giant, he could inflict serious damage if he wanted to. Dorian had to defuse the situation before it got even more out of hand. He strode with his daughter to one of Abraxos’ legs and tapped the wyvern in the signal for him to lower himself to the ground. Ever the dutiful thing, Abraxos did, and Dorian hitched himself up and climbed onto his back. He opened his jacked and tucked his daughter inside, strapping her to him with his various belts and sashes, and some magic just in case.

“What if we all go to the aviary? Is that okay, buddy?”

Dorian patted his scales as he said the words, but now that he was in the open again also gave the signal for his sentries to once again stand down. Chaol, inching closer with concern every second, was the only one to hear his plan. His friend nodded and ran rushed in the direction of the aviary to meet them there.

“Alright, let’s go.”

Abraxos seemed to like Dorian’s thoughts. He expanded his wings, and with one mighty flap they were airborne. It took less than a minute for Abraxos to land firmly in the aviary, the other wyverns snorting happily at his appearance. Abraxos walked them all to his stall, where Dorian hopped off his back and let him surround them again. Unsure when he would be able to leave peacefully, Dorian took of his jacket and laid it on the ground, using it as a mat for his daughter. He took off her nappy, and his shoulders slumped in relief that she hadn’t made a mess. She was easy enough to clean, they had supplies for her stashed everywhere, including in the pockets of all the wyverns saddles – just in case there was ever need for a quick escape.

She was gurgling away as he changed her, all too familiar with the sights around her. She kept making fists at them, obviously wanting to either be enclosed in the warmth of Abraxos’ wings or held tight in her father’s arms.

Dorian picked her up, hoping she would nap against his chest after her big day. He in turn sat and leant back against Abraxos, who had blocked the entry to his pen with his body meaning no one could come in or out. Dorian settled in, hoping either Chaol would arrive soon so he could tell him to get them all some food, or that Manon would appear from wherever she’s been hiding.

_____

“Dorian? _Dorian!”_

Dorian was startled awake by hands caressing his face, the familiar scent of iron filling his head as his wife grappled at him.

“You’re here,” he croaked. “Where have you been? You’ve missed one hell of a day.”

“I’m sorry my love, I was taking care of riots in the city and it took longer than I anticipated.”

 _My love_. A title she used only at her most affectionate.

Or her most sorry.

Dorian went to pat his daughter’s hair, faltering when he couldn’t feel her on his chest. He sat up, more awake than ever and grasped around him until he saw her nestled in Manon’s arms. He sighed in relief, and then groaned as he realised their predicament.

“What’s wrong?” she asked him gently.

“Did Chaol not tell you? Abraxos here has been throwing hissy fits all day. If you’re here it means you’re stuck here.” He ran his hands through his hair in frustration, bringing his knees up and leaning on them.

“He’ll let us go now.” She kissed his linked hands, and then his cheek as he looked at her in surprise.

“You’re awfully affectionate. Suspiciously affectionate.”

She deflated, and rather than speaking straight away she nestled herself into his arms, forcing him to wrap himself around her. He happily did, but he still held reservations. Where had she been all day? And why was she acting this way?

“I may have made a mistake,” she said.

“Would you like to elaborate on that?”

She took a breath so deep Dorian could feel it in his bones. He tightened his arms around her and the babe, listening carefully as she started to speak.

“This afternoon there was an issue in the city. It was imperative I go, but it was too dangerous to take our daughter. No one I trusted was around to take her. It’s possible I wasn’t thinking rationally when I gave her to Abraxos and ordered him not to let anyone near her or allow anyone take her away.”

“You’re kidding,” Dorian deadpanned.

“I think we’ve both learned a lesson from today.”

“ _A lesson_? Manon, you left our baby with a _wyvern_. Abraxos can’t feed her, can’t change her, can’t heal her if she injures herself.”

“I know that! I didn’t think I had any other option.”

Dorian put a hand on her shoulder and made her look at him. “If I hadn’t come sooner the guards may have tried to hurt him, and then hurt her in the process! He wouldn’t even let me leave with her, and I’m her father. What lesson am _I_ supposed to get from this?”

“I ordered Abraxos not to let anyone near her, absolutely no one, but he let you. And then protected you as well. He must love you.”

Dorian stood, taking his daughter from Manon’s arms as he did. She had started to whine, tired and hungry. “If you were worried enough that a sub-species of dragon seemed like a good nanny you could have just summoned me home. I would have come in a _second_. She and you are the most important things to me. Fuck meetings, fuck being the king. My first priority is you.” He stormed to the door and stopped an inch away. He cocked his head towards Abraxos. “Can I leave now?”

Dorian didn’t know why he expected a physical answer. When he didn’t get one, he stormed out, glad to just be free with his girl again.

_____

She had his finger clenched in her hand as she slept. She had started to get really drowsy during bath time, and she didn’t even make it through a whole story when she’d passed out.

Dorian had been here a while, just watching her. She was the most gorgeous thing he’d ever laid eyes on. The thought of her in any sort of danger had his stomach convulsing.

With the hand she wasn’t holding captive, he adjusted the red blankets around her. Embroidered in gold stitching with the Adarlian symbol of the Wyvern, it had been a gracious gift from Queen Aelin Galathynius. It matched everything in the room: the gold drapes, the mahogany floors and furniture, the red walls. So stark was her hair and skin against everything else so dark. He liked it that way – it meant he could always find her.

The door creaked as it opened, and he didn’t need to turn to know it was Manon.

“Come to bed.”

“I want to be here a little bit longer.”

She came up behind and wrapped her arms around him. She kissed his head, his cheek, his neck, the corner of his lips. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.”

When he didn’t respond, she kissed his cheek again. “I’ll do better, I promise.”

He hummed, eyes still locked on their daughter.

“Dorian?”

It was the question in her voice that made his finally look at her, and he felt horrible at what he saw.

Her jaw was ridged, but her eyes were red-rimmed. Fresh tears lined them in silver, and he gently took his hand away from their girl so he could wipe them away.

“This is all so new to me. I’m still learning, and I’ll do better. The last thing I want is her in harm’s way. The worst feeling is knowing how disappointed and angry you are-”

He interrupted her with a kiss, her lips tasting of salt from the tears she must’ve cried before entering the room. “I forgive you, and I love you. I also stand by everything I’ve told you. You are a fantastic mother. The only woman I want. The only person I want children with – to rule a kingdom with. I can’t apologize enough for making you feel bad. What happened today was a… lapse in judgement. And the Gods know I have made plenty of questionable decisions before. I was harsh, and it was unnecessary.”

He stepped them out of the room with one last wave to their girl, shutting the door behind him and thanking the two sentries that would stay at her door all night.

They went into their room and climbed into bed, Manon pressing her back against his chest, holding the hand that was clutching her.

“I love you both so much it scares me sometimes,” she whispered into the darkness.

“I never knew a love such as this was possible.”

She gripped his hand tighter. “Gods, when did we become such saps? We’re giving Chaol and Yrene a run for their money.”

Dorian howled with laughter – all negative emotions from the day forgotten.


End file.
